Intrinsically safe audio system management for conference rooms

1. A method for analyzing and resolving feedback caused by having multiple audio links in a conference room, the method comprising the steps of: detecting, by an audio system coupled to a speaker and a microphone, presence of duplicated audio caused by multiple audio links in the conference room; injecting, in response to the detecting the duplicated audio, marker signals in one of a room output link and a network output link; receiving an echo of the marker signals via one of a room input link and a network input link; determining which case, of a plurality of cases, corresponds to the detected duplicated audio based on the received echo of the marker signals, comprising determining an amount of delay between the injecting the marker signals and detecting the injected marker signals using one of the room input link and the network input link; modifying operation of at least one of the speaker and the microphone based on the determined case corresponding to the detected duplicated audio; and monitoring audio playback in the conference room to verify that far end audio playback is taking place and that the duplicated audio has been resolved.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising informing users of the audio system about the determined case.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising suggesting user actions to remedy the duplicated audio.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the detecting the duplicated audio, turning off at least one of the speaker and the microphone, wherein the modifying operation comprises determining whether to turn on a component that has been previously turned off, and turning on the component that has been previously turned off based on the determination.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modifying operation comprises applying adaptive suppressive filters to an output played through the speaker, the adaptive suppressive filters lowering the volume such that audio may still be heard.

6. The method of claim 1 , the detecting presence of duplicated audio comprising identifying high correlation between two detected audio signals in the conference room.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: detecting, during the monitoring audio playback, that received far end activity is not being heard in the conference room; undoing the modified operation of the one of the speaker and the microphone; and announcing to users via the speaker that the modified operation has been canceled.

8. An audio system controller comprising, a room port including a room input link and a room output link; a network port including a network input link and a network output link; and an audio routing controller communicatively coupled to both the room port and the network port, the audio routing controller comprising a processor that receives an incoming audio stream via the network input link and outputs the audio stream via the room output link, the processor being configured to: detect duplicate audio in a conference room via the room input link; inject marker signals in one of the room output link and the network output link; receive the injected marker signals via one of the room input link and the network input link; determine, based on the received marker signals, which case of a plurality of cases corresponds to the detected duplicate audio, comprising determining an amount of delay between the injecting the marker signals and detecting the injected marker signals using one of the room input link and the network input link; modify operation of the room port and/or network port based on the determined case corresponding to the detected duplicated audio; and monitor audio playback in the conference room to verify that far end audio playback is taking place and that the duplicated audio has been resolved.

9. The audio system controller of claim 8 , wherein when the delay between a room out marker signal and the room input signal is less than 100 ms, the case is another speaker being in the conference room, and the modification is turning off the room port.

10. The audio system controller of claim 8 , wherein when the delay between a room out marker signal and the room input signal is greater than 300 ms, the case is an independent feedback loop, and the modification is turning off the room input link of the room port.

11. The audio system controller of claim 8 , wherein when the delay between a room out marker signal and the network input signal is greater than 200 ms, the case is another microphone being in the conference room, and the modification is turning off the room port.

12. The audio system controller of claim 8 , wherein when the delay between a network out marker signal and the room input signal is less than 100 ms or the delay between a network out marker signal and the network input signal is less than 100 ms, the case is catastrophic duplicate audio, and the modification is muting the room in link and the room out link.

13. The audio system controller of claim 8 , wherein when the delay between a network out marker signal and the room input signal is greater than 200 ms, the case is another speaker in the conference room, and the modification is muting the room out link.

14. The audio system controller of claim 8 , wherein when the delay between a network out marker signal and the room input signal is greater than 200 ms, second marker signals are injected, the second marker signals comprising a room out probe to the network in link.

15. A computer program product for analyzing and resolving feedback caused by having multiple audio links in a conference room, the computer program product being tangibly stored on a non-transient computer-readable medium and comprising machine executable instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to perform steps of: detecting presence of duplicated audio caused by multiple audio links in the conference room; injecting, in response to the detecting the duplicated audio, marker signals in one of a room output link and a network output link; receiving an echo of the marker signals via one of a room input link and a network input link; determining which case, of a plurality of cases, corresponds to the detected duplicated audio based on the received echo of the marker signals, comprising determining an amount of delay between the injecting the marker signals and detecting the injected marker signals using one of the room input link and the network input link; modifying operation of at least one of a speaker and a microphone based on the determined case corresponding to the detected duplicated audio; and monitoring audio playback in the conference room to verify that far end audio playback is taking place and that the duplicated audio has been resolved.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , the machine executable instructions further causing the machine to perform the step of informing users of the audio system about the determined case.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , the machine executable instructions further causing the machine to perform the step of suggesting user actions to remedy the duplicated audio.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , the machine executable instructions further causing the machine to perform the step of, in response to the detecting the duplicated audio, turning off at least one of the speaker and the microphone, wherein the modifying operation comprises determining whether to turn on a component that has been previously turned off, and turning on the component that has been previously turned off based on the determination.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the modifying operation comprises applying adaptive suppressive filters to an output played through the speaker, the adaptive suppressive filters lowering the volume such that audio may still be heard.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , the detecting presence of duplicated audio comprising identifying high correlation between two detected audio signals in the conference room.